The present invention has reference to a fluid mover having a number of practical applications of diverse nature ranging from marine propulsion systems to pumping applications for moving and/or mixing fluids and/or solids of the same or different characteristics. The present invention also has relevance in the fields inter alia of heating, cleaning, aeration, gas fluidisation, and agitation of fluids and fluids/solids mixtures, particle separation, classification, disintegration, emulsification, homogenisation, dispersion, hydration, atomisation, droplet production, viscosity reduction, density reduction, and pasteurisation
More particularly the invention is concerned with the provision of a fluid mover having essentially no moving parts
Ejectors are well known in the art for moving working or process fluids by the use of a either a central or an annular jet which emits steam into a duct in order to move the fluids through or out of appropriate ducting or into or through another body of fluid. The ejector principally operates on the basis of inducing flow by creating negative pressure, generally by the use of the venturi principle. The majority of these systems utilise a central steam nozzle where the induced fluid generally enters the duct orthogonally to the axis of the jet, although there are exceptions where the reverse arrangement is provided. The steam jet is accelerated through an expansion nozzle into a mixing chamber where it impinges on and is mixed with process fluid. The mixture of process fluid and steam is accelerated to higher velocities within a downstream convergent section prior to a divergent section, e.g. a venturi. The pressure gradient generated in the venturi induces new process fluid to enter the mixing chamber. The energy transfer mechanism in most steam ejector systems is a combination of momentum, heat and mass transfer but by varying proportions. Many of these systems employ the momentum transfer associated with a converging flow, while others involve the generation of a shock wave in the divergent section. One of the major limitations of the conventional convergent/divergent systems is that their performance is very sensitive to the position of the shock wave which tends to be unstable, easily moving away from its optimum position. It is known from the prior art mentioned infra that if the shock wave develops in the wrong place within the convergent/divergent sections, the relevant unit may well stall. Such systems can also only achieve a shock wave across a restricted section.
Furthermore, for systems which employ a central steam nozzle, the throat dimension restriction and the sharp change of direction affecting the process fluid presents a serious limitation on the size of any particulate throughput and certainly any rogue material that might enter the system could cause blockage.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,396,290 to Schwarz discloses a sludge system intended essentially as an apparatus for removing from storage tanks the accumulation of viscous tar or semi-fluid tar, oil sludges and the like. The Schwarz system has a throat body provided with an outwardly flared portion at one end, a steam intake nozzle extending into the body and having a central opening for the passage of material therethrough into the throat body, and a steam discharge nozzle at the flared end for drawing material out of the flared portion of the throat body. The principal objective of Schwarz is to provide a means whereby the difficult materials recited above may be fluidised by a combination of the impact of the steam initially at the intake end of the throat body and the heat of the steam, the material being further subjected to the same action afforded by the discharge nozzle. The viscosity of the difficult material is thus reduced to improve flowability to allow pumping. It is to be noted that the flow of material whilst being assisted through the throat body has to pass from a wide bore nipple into a tapered section prior to the location of the primary steam nozzle, thus constraining the material and potentially causing blockages. Equally the throat body is of smaller dimension than the intake nipple and the tapered section, thus combining to create a constriction to the flow, albeit that the intention is to provide a concentration of impact and heat application for the purpose taught. The secondary or discharge nozzle fulfils a similar function to that of the primary nozzle to give a second stage impact and fluidising effect to the flowing material thus to enhance induction of the material through the system. The potential disadvantage of the Schwarz system is that by virtue of the convergent nature of the inlet to the unit and the constricted throat portion the free flow of fluid materials therethrough is likely to be difficult or restricted by the physical characteristics of the materials. As will be appreciated control on the type and size of material entering this system is difficult and the chances of blockage are high from material or agglomerates which have a size approaching the inlet bore size of the unit.
Canadian Patent No 833 980 to Schutte and Koerting Co is concerned with a jet pump of the type having a compressible flow in the diffusor and a supercritical ratio of suction to discharge pressures. The method and apparatus described by Schutte and Koerting are aimed at overcoming certain defined disadvantages associated with the operation of jet pumps in which supersonic velocities initially prevail in the mixture of the motive or thrust stream and the suction stream. As is explained in this prior art the change from supersonic to subsonic velocity occurs in a shock zone. In particular the problem associated with this type of pump, used for pumping gas, resides in controlling the positioning of the shock wave which is critical in that if it moves into either the intake or the discharge zone of the diffusor, significant difficulties arise. In particular, if the shock wave moves into the convergent conical intake zone the jet pump becomes unstable and might even fail. If the shock wave moves into the divergent conical exit zone the rate of flow of the mixture of the thrust and suction streams is accelerated resulting in a reduction in efficiency. The patentees propose a method of monitoring the prevailing conditions within the diffusor and to vary the thrust stream accordingly in order to position the shock wave accurately thereby to optimise efficiency. The jet pump of this prior art is essentially a conventional steam ejector and the invention merely lies in the monitoring and control of the shock wave positioning. This jet pump is configured for gas pumping and as such would be unsuitable for pumping liquids or liquid/solids mixtures, not least because of the significant difficulties associated with achieving supersonic velocities with substantially incompressible fluids. Clearly the amount of energy that would be required to impart supersonic velocity to the mixture would be prohibitive since the performance would be poor.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,664,768 to Mays concerns a fluid transformer of the straight-through type for sludges and other liquid/solids materials in which again the throat area converges, in this instance in a stepwise configuration thereby giving rise to potential impaction of the solids elements of the fluids passing therethrough. It is to be noted that Mays is silent regarding the nature of the impelling fluid.
An object of the present invention is to provide a fluid mover having essentially no moving parts having an improved performance than fluid movers currently available in the absence of any constriction such as is exemplified in the prior art herein recited.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method of moving fluid.
According to a first aspect of the present invention a fluid mover includes a hollow body provided with a straight-through passage of substantially constant cross section with an inlet at one end of the passage and an outlet at the other end of the passage for the entry and discharge respectively of a working fluid, a nozzle substantially circumscribing and opening into said passage intermediate the inlet and outlet ends thereof, an inlet communicating with the nozzle for the introduction of a transport fluid, a mixing chamber being formed within the passage downstream of the nozzle, the nozzle being so disposed and configured that in use a dispersed droplet flow regime and a supersonic shock wave are created within the mixing chamber by the introduction and condensation of the transport fluid.
The transport fluid is preferably a condensable fluid and may be a gas or vapour, for example steam, which may be introduced in either a continuous or discontinuous manner.
According to a second aspect of the present invention a fluid mover includes a hollow body provided with a straight-through passage of substantially constant cross section having an inlet at one end of the passage and an outlet at the other end of the passage for the entry and discharge respectively of a working fluid, a steam nozzle substantially circumscribing and opening into said passage intermediate the inlet and the outlets thereof, a steam inlet communicating with the nozzle for the introduction of steam, a mixing chamber being formed in the passage downstream of the nozzle, the nozzle being so disposed and configured that in use a dispersed droplet flow regime and a supersonic shock wave are created in the mixing chamber by the introduction and condensation of steam.
At or near the point of introduction of the transport fluid, for example immediately downstream thereof, a pseudo-vena contracta or pseudo convergent/divergent section is generated, akin to the convergent/divergent section of conventional steam ejectors but without the physical constraints associated therewith since the relevant section is formed by the effect of the steam impacting upon the working or process fluid. Accordingly the fluid mover of the present invention is more versatile than conventional ejectors by virtue of a flexible internal boundary. The flexible boundary lies between the working fluid at the center and the solid wall of the unit, and allows disturbances or pressure fluctuations in the multi phase flow to be accommodated better than for a solid wall. This advantageously reduces the sonic velocity within the multi phase flow, resulting in better droplet dispersion, increasing the momentum transfer zone length, thus producing a more intense shockwave. Accordingly the positioning and intensity of the shock wave is variable depending upon the specific requirements of the system in which the fluid mover is disposed.
The mechanism of the present invention relies on a combination of effects in order to achieve its high versatility and performance, notably heat, momentum and mass transfer which gives rise to the generation of the shock wave and also provides for shearing of the working fluid flow on a continuous basis by shear dispersion and/or disassociation.
The intensity of the supersonic shock wave is controllable by manipulating the various parameters prevailing within the system when operational. Accordingly the flow rate, pressure and quality, i.e. in the case of steam the dryness, of the transport fluid may be regulated to give the required intensity of shockwave. In this connection the intensity of the shockwave essentially relates to its degree of development within and across the passage and the mixing chamber. For example the shockwave may develop across the whole section or may only partially do so providing a central core that is open. The intensity of the shockwave may therefore be variable dependent upon the particular task the fluid mover has to perform. Furthermore the intensity of the shockwave may also be determined or defined by its position within or possibly without the passage or mixing chamber. As indicated supra the positioning of the shock wave may be manipulated in accordance with requirements and is not limited by the physical constraints of conventional ejectors since the pseudo-vena contracta is of variable dimension.
The supersonic shockwave constitutes in one aspect of its function a barrier through or across which fluid flow occurs in one direction only and in that respect may be regarded as a one-way valve, there being no designed possibility of backflow through the shockwave. Further, the steam condensation immediately leading up to the creation of a supersonic shockwave provides a self-induction mechanism whereby the transport fluid is drawn in by the very shockwave the fluid produces and accordingly is to some extent self-perpetuating when in operation. It is predominantly the position and intensity of the shockwave which dictates the pressure gradient obtained across the unit, which in turn defines the pressure and suction head and flow rate capabilities of the unit.
The passage may be of any convenient cross-sectional shape suitable for the particular application of the fluid mover. The passage shape may be circular, rectilinear or any intermediate shape, for example curvilinear.
Preferably the nozzle is located as close as possible to the projected surface of the working fluid in practice and in this respect a knife edge separation between the transport fluid or steam and the working fluid stream is of advantage in order to achieve the requisite degree of interaction. The angular orientation of the nozzle with respect to the working fluid stream is of importance and may be shallow.
In some embodiments of the present invention a series of nozzles is provided lengthwise of the passage and the geometry of the nozzles may vary from one to the other dependent upon the effect desired. For example, the angular orientation may vary one to the other. The nozzles may have differing geometries in order to afford different effects, i.e. different performance characteristics, with possibly differing parametric steam conditions. For example some nozzles may be operated for the purpose of heating whereas others are used simultaneously for mixing or disintegrating for example. Each nozzle will have a mixing chamber section downstream thereof. In the case where a series of nozzles is provided the number of operational nozzles is variable.
The nozzle may be of a form to correspond with the shape of the passage and thus for example a circular passage would advantageously be provided with an annular nozzle circumscribing it. The term ‘annular’ as used herein is deemed to embrace any configuration of nozzle or nozzles that circumscribes the passage of the fluid mover.
In the case of a rectilinear passage, which may have a large width to height ratio, nozzles would be provided at least on each transverse wall, but not necessarily on the side walls, although the invention optionally contemplates a full circumscription of the passage by the nozzle irrespective of shape.
The or each nozzle may be continuous or may be discontinuous in the form of a plurality of apertures, e.g. segmental, arranged in a circumscribing pattern that may be circular. In either case each aperture may be provided with helical vanes formed in order to give in practice a swirl to the flow of the transport fluid. As a further alternative the nozzle may circumscribe the passage in the form of a continuous helical scroll over a length of the passage, the nozzle aperture being formed in the wall of the passage.
The or each nozzle may be of a convergent-divergent geometry internally thereof, and in practice the nozzle is configured to give the supersonic flow of transport fluid within the passage. For a given steam condition, i.e. dryness, pressure and temperature, the nozzle is preferably configured to provide the highest velocity steam jet, the lowest pressure drop and the highest enthalpy.
For example only, and not by way of limitation, an optimum area ratio for the nozzle, namely exit area: throat area, lies in the range 1.75 and 7.5, with an included angle of less than 9°.
The or each nozzle is conveniently angled towards the flow since this occasions penetration of the working fluid and advantageously prevents both kinetic energy dissipation on the wall of the passage and premature condensation of the steam at the wall of the passage, where an adverse temperature differential prevails. The angular orientation of the nozzles is selected for optimum performance which is dependent inter alia on the nozzle orientation and the internal geometry of the mixing chamber. Further the angular orientation of the or each nozzle is selected to control the pseudo-convergent/divergent profile and the condensation shock wave position in accordance with the pressure and flow rates required from the fluid mover. Moreover, the creation of turbulence, governed inter alia by the angular orientation of the nozzle, is important to achieve optimum performance by dispersal of the working fluid in order to increase acceleration by momentum transfer. This aspect is of particular import when the fluid mover is employed as a pump. For example, and not by way of limitation, in the present invention it has been found that an angular orientation for the or each nozzle may lie in the range 0 to 30°.
A series of nozzles with respective mixing chamber sections associated therewith may be provided longitudinally of the passage and in this instance the nozzles may have different angular orientations, for example decreasing from the first nozzle in a downstream direction. Each nozzle may have a different function from the other or others, for example pumping, mixing, disintegrating, and may be selectively brought into operation in practice. Each nozzle may be configured to give the desired effects upon the working fluid. Further, in a multi-nozzle system by the introduction of the transport fluid, for example steam, phased heating may be achieved. This approach may be desirable to provide a gradual heating of the working fluid.
The mixing chamber geometry is determined by the desired and projected output performance and to match the designed steam conditions and nozzle geometry. In this respect it will be appreciated that there is a combinatory effect as between the various geometric features and their effect on performance, namely there is interaction between the various design and performance parameters having due regard to the defined function of the fluid mover.
At the location of the or each nozzle in the passage, the dimension of the passage is greater than either upstream or downstream thereof since this increase compensates for the additional volume of fluid introduced. However, the cross sectional area of the mixing chamber is always consonant with or greater than the cross sectional area of the passage whereby any material entering the passage meets no constriction. The cross-sectional area of the mixing chamber may vary with length and may have differing degrees of reduction along its length, i.e. the mixing chamber may taper at different angles at different points along its length. The mixing chamber tapers from the location of the or each nozzle and the taper ratio is selected such that the multi-phase flow velocity and pressure distribution of the condensation shock wave is maintained at its optimum position. This point is found in the region of the throat of the mixing chamber, but the invention also foreshadows a different position, for example just after the throat. As heretofore indicated the intensity of the shockwave is controllable and coupled with its positioning will dictate its performance characteristics. As foreshadowed supra the supersonic shockwave may not extend across the whole of the cross-sectional dimension of the passage or mixing chamber and may resemble an annulus, for example it may be akin to a doughnut shape with a central relief. The regulation of the shockwave is a determinant of the performance of the fluid mover and is in turn dictated by its particular application.
The mixing chamber of the present invention may be of variable length in order to provide a control on the point at which collapse or implosion of the steam, i.e. condensation and pressure drop, occurs, thus affecting the extent of the supersonic shock wave and the performance of the fluid mover. The length of the mixing chamber is thus chosen to provide the optimum performance regarding momentum transfer. In some expressions of the invention the length may be adjustable in situ rather than predesigned in order to provide a measure of versatility. The collapse of the steam gives rise to an implosive force which also influences the entrapped working fluid within the circumscribing steam stream to the extent that a pinching effect takes place. Accordingly the steam collapse is focused and the working fluid induced thereby is directionalised.
A cowl may be provided downstream of the outlet from the passage in order to enhance the collapse effect and to harness the pressure and to accelerate an additional volume of the working fluid stream.
The fluid mover may also be provided with a fluid inlet nozzle, for example for the introduction of air or gas or indeed a liquid, provided in the passage intermediate the inlet and the outlet. The fluid nozzle may circumscribe the passage and may therefore be of annular form and may be located upstream and/or downstream of and/or coincident with the nozzle for the transport fluid or steam.
The fluid inlet or other inlets which may be provided in the passage may be used for the introduction of other gases or liquids or of other additives that may for example be treatment substances for the working fluid or may be particulates in powder or pulverulent form and used to seed or be mixed with the working fluid. The other inlets may additionally or alternatively be employed for the introduction of further working fluid. The fluids or other additives are entrained into the working fluid by the low pressure created within the unit, typically for example in the region of 0.2 bar. The fluids or additives can also be pressurised by an external means and pumped into the working fluid, if so required.
In a further embodiment of the present invention the fluid mover is disposed within a chamber provided with an inlet and an outlet, the inlet diverging to a central section of constant cross section in which the fluid mover is located and the chamber converging towards the outlet thereof. In this arrangement the working fluid is induced through the fluid mover and also around it within the confines of the chamber the outlet of which is no smaller than its inlet.
The fluid mover of the present invention may also be used in heating applications where the heat in the case of steam when used as the transport fluid is employed since necessarily the working fluid will receive heat from the steam. The heat of the steam may also have advantageous effects on the physical properties of the working fluid; for example the viscosity of the working fluid may be reduced.
According to a third aspect of the present invention a method of moving a working fluid includes presenting a fluid mover to the fluid, the mover having a straight-through passage of substantially constant cross section, applying a substantially circumscribing stream of a transport fluid to the passage through an annular nozzle, causing the collapse of the transport fluid thereof to create a region of low pressure thereby to induce working fluid flow through the passage (3), generating a supersonic shock wave within the passage downstream of the nozzle, inducing flow of the working fluid through the passage from an inlet to an outlet thereof, and modulating the shock wave to vary the working fluid discharge from the outlet.
The transport fluid is preferably a condensable fluid and may be a gas or vapour, for example steam.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention a method of moving a working fluid includes presenting a fluid mover to the fluid, the mover having a straight-through passage of substantially constant cross section, applying a substantially circumscribing stream of steam to the passage through an annular nozzle, causing the collapse of the steam by virtue of condensation thereof to create a region of low pressure thereby to induce working fluid flow through the passage (3), generating a supersonic shock wave within the passage downstream of the nozzle, inducing flow of the working fluid through the passage from an inlet to an outlet thereof, modulating the shock wave to vary the working fluid discharge from the outlet.
The thermal capacity of the working fluid is generally sufficient to yield the desired result in terms of the condensation effect. However, in those instances where that capacity might be insufficient, the invention includes the step of introducing additional working fluid or another working fluid, e.g. water, at a location downstream of the introduction of the transport fluid, e.g. steam, in order to provide additional quenching of the steam to give the requisite result.
The method of the present invention involves the transfer of energy to the working fluid by a combination of heat, momentum and mass transfer as the transport fluid, e.g. steam, is accelerated to supersonic speeds and directed by the nozzle into the working or process fluid. The resulting mixture of the transport and working fluids is accelerated within the pseudo-convergent section before it decelerates as a result of shear losses, steam condensation, and mass transfer. It is the decelerative aspect of the invention that results in the generation of the supersonic shock wave.
In carrying out the method of the present invention the creation of a shock wave, plus control of its position and intensity, is occasioned by the design of the nozzle interacting with the setting of the desired parametric conditions, for example in the case of steam as the transport fluid the pressure, the dryness or steam quality, the temperature and the flow rate to achieve the required performance of the steam nozzle.
The fluid mover of the present invention may be employed in a variety of applications ranging from marine propulsion, where the mover is submersed within a body of fluid, namely the sea or lake or other body of water, to its use as a pump or mixer or aerator. In its application to pumping a variety of working fluids may be moved and may include liquids, liquids with solids in suspension, slurries, sludges and the like. It is an advantage of the straight-through passage of the mover that it can accommodate material that might find its way into the passage. The velocity and pressure generated within the passage and enhanced by the collapse of the transport fluid or steam are such as to ensure rapid movement through the passage. Such an advantage is also of particular import in the use of the fluid mover as a propulsion unit in the marine field where flotsam and jetsam can be a serious problem inhibiting the smooth running of more conventional propulsion units.
It has been found that the present invention by virtue of the shearing effect in combination with the shock wave affords a mechanism occasioning capability for breaking up any friable or readily disintegratable material that may have entered the passage, the combination of the shearing effect, namely an effect of shear dispersion and/or disassociation, and the shock wave having a disintegrating effect on the material.
The disintegrating effect of the supersonic shock wave assists in the transport of materials that would otherwise be regarded as difficult, for example slurries, sludges both primary and secondary, raw sewage or sewage sludge since the invention affords the capability of breaking up the solids for easier disposal. In a further example from the waste water industry this effect can be employed for disintegration of agglomerates and other particle size reduction in aerobic and anaerobic digesters. The combination of disintegration and heating of the sludge has an added benefit of increasing the biological activity of the sludge, thereby improving the generation of biogas within the digester. Any filter cake generated in the sewage treatment process, or indeed any other process, is also a candidate for disintegration using the fluid mover of the invention.
At the same time it has been found that the invention also has application to the destruction of harmful bacteria, for example e-coli, or the control of filamentous bulking in the waste water industry. The shearing mechanism afforded by the present invention coupled with the pressure gradient across the shock wave effectively destroys the bacteria in the fluid flow. The heat input of the transport fluid, usually steam, enhances this bacteria killing effect thereby providing for the sterilization of the working fluid. The sterilising effect could be enhanced further with the entrainment of chemicals or other additives which is mixed into the working fluid.
The present invention may also be used for the control and destruction of organisms. For example the present invention may be used for pumping and treatment of ballast water from marine vessels. The combination of the shearing mechanism, the shockwave and the heat input will destroy water borne organisms such as snails and artemia. This effect could be further enhanced with the introduction of air to the working fluid, thereby causing gas bubble trauma and/or gas saturation.
In the food industry for example, the present invention maybe used for the pasteurisation of potable and comestible products.
The invention further allows the treatment of liquids containing solids material of a size and flow rate greater than are possible with conventional equipment since the disintegrating action occurs across a larger cross section of passage than that available conventionally. Additionally any rogue material that may enter the fluid mover can be accommodated without damage since the fluid mover has little or no impedance.
The invention may also be used for mixing, dispersion or hydration and again the combination of the shearing mechanism and presence of the shock wave provides the mechanism for achieving the desired result. In this connection the fluid mover may be used for mixing one or more fluids, one or more fluids and solids in particulate form, for example powders. The fluids may be in liquid or gaseous form. It has been found that the use of the present invention when mixing liquid with a powder of particulate form a homogeneous mixture results, even when the powder is of difficult to wet material, for example Gum Tragacanth which is a thickening agent. This mechanism could also be used for example in the manufacture of paints, where powders and other additives, such as extenders, can be entrained, mixed and dispersed.
The treatment of the working fluid, for example heating, dosing, mixing, dispersing, emulsifying etc may occur in batch mode using at least one fluid mover or by way in an in-line or continuous configuration using one or more fluid movers as required.
A further use to which the present invention may be put is that of emulsification which is the formation of a suspension by mixing two or more liquids which are not soluble in each other, namely small droplets of one liquid (inner phase) are suspended in the other liquid(s) (outer phase). The present invention has achieved satisfactory emulsification in the absence of surfactant blends, although they may be used if so desired. It has been found that the present invention has achieved the emulsification of fat, oils and greases in water to a homogenised condition with a particle size down to 0.1 μm in a single pass through the fluid mover, without the use of a surfactant. In addition, due to the straight through nature of the invention, there is no limitation on the particle size that can be handled, allowing particle sizes up to the bore size of the unit whilst emulsification is taking place.
The fluid mover of the present invention may be used simply for transporting solids in a liquid carrier medium, for example paper pulp of up high consistency, particulates in water or other liquid, e.g. sand or gravel (5 mm pea shingle) in water of up to 80% solids. This high solids content capability is of particular importance in some applications, for example when used for moving radioactive material from collection tanks as part of nuclear decommissioning. There is less liquid to firstly separate from the solids and consequently less to dispose of safely.
A further example of solids handling capability is grain and split grain transport, where the present invention could also be utilised for separation of the husks.
Further the fluid mover may be employed for washing particulate materials of slurries to effect separation of the wanted from the waste elements. This usage has particular, but not exclusive, application to mineral dressing systems. This usage can also be applied to de-oiling of oil rich media. I.e. separating the oil from other particles, for example oil sands, mill scale and oil spill from beaches.
Whilst there has been emphasis upon the use of a liquid working fluid, it is within the scope of the invention that the working fluid could be gaseous, for example air. In this connection, the fluid mover may be deployed as an extractor whereby the injection of the transport fluid, for example steam, effects induction of a gas for movement from one zone to another. One example of use in this way is to be found in fire fighting when smoke extraction at the scene of a fire is required. The present invention has the additional benefit of wetting or quenching of explosive or toxic atmospheres utilising either just the steam, or with additional entrained water and/or chemical additives. The latter configuration could be used for placing the explosive or toxic substances into solution for safe disposal.
Also for firefighting applications, the fluid mover may be deployed to draw air or another gas into its passage into which water or another fluid is introduced. The mixing and disintegrating functions of the invention may be exploited whereby the shearing effect mentioned above together with the pressure gradient across the shock wave give rise to conditions in which the water is atomised by the incoming transport fluid, e.g. steam. The atomisation of the water may be effected by its transport with the transport air and its passage through the supersonic shock wave and/or by a shearing effect. The atomisation effect as indicated above may be advantageously employed by the fire services, for example, when attending a fire or where there has been a leakage or escape of chemical or biological materials in liquid or gaseous form. The atomised spray provides a mist which effectively creates a blanket saturation of the prevailing atmosphere giving a thorough wetting result. The effect in the case of fire is to dampen down the combustion. In the case where chemical or biological materials are involved, the mist wets the materials and occasions their precipitation or neutralization. Additional treatment could be provided by entrainment of chemical or biological additives into the working fluid.
Once the fire is under control or the chemical or biological materials have been successfully neutralized, the fluid mover of the present invention may also be used as a means of collecting and discharging the liquid or gaseous waste from the site. This provides a further opportunity to neutralise the waste by virtue of the heat provided by the steam, and also allows further chemical or biological additives to be added and mixed with the fluids.
In this area of usage also lies another potential application in terms of foam generation for fire fighting purposes. A fluid mixture of water with a foaming agent, and possibly air, are mixed within the fluid mover using the transport fluid, e.g. steam, by virtue of a combination of the shearing effect and of the supersonic shock wave
The straight through aspect of the invention has the additional benefit of offering very little flow restriction and therefore a negligible pressure drop, when a fluid is moved through it. This is of particular importance in applications where the fluid mover is located in a process pipe work and fluid is pumped through it when the fluid mover is turned off. In addition, the clear bore offers no impedance to cleaning ‘pigs’ or other similar devices which may be employed to clean the pipe work.
By way of example, four embodiments of a fluid mover in accordance with the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Like numerals of reference have been used for like parts throughout the specification.